Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-02-24
WHALING ON THE SOUND.
THE OFF SHORE FISHERY ALONG
THE COAST OF LONG ISLAND.

Sight-Embarking for the Chase-CaPt-
ured and Towed Ashore-Cut Up and
Tried Out for Oil.
The off shore fishery is still an organized in
dustry in Amagansett, Easthampton, Bridg-
hampton and Southampton, four villages
and townships forming the extreme eastern
end of Long Island. Walking their foaming
beaches in summer days one sees in some
prominent sand dune a tall pole firmly
planted on the sand with cleats nailed upon
it at intervals. so that it can be easily as
cended. Within sight, perhaps a mile dis
tant, is another, and so the coast is belted
with them from the Hamptons on the west
quite beyond Amagansett. These are ths
f'lookouts'' of the whale fishers, and also serve
the same purpose when the menhaden are of
shore in the spring. On cold, wintry morn
ing some one-a patrolman from the life
saving station perhaps discovers school
of whales mile or two off shore. He at
once climbs the nearest pole and swings his
jacket as ''weft" Bright eyes are ever
on the watch, and at once . huge fish horn
is sounded in the village ordering rally,
lazy ponies are harne<sed into crazy wagons,
the three boats crews jump in and they are
Off on gallop to the beach, followed by all
the able bodied men, woman and children OF
the village.
The great whaIs boats are drawn up on
the sands near the boat house, the latter con-
tanning oars, haf poons, lances the coiled
harpoon line and other implements of the
chase. Hairy, brawny arms run the boat
down to the marge, over which at regular
intervals the breakers throw their carpets of
foam. The men stand statuesque by the
side of the boat until the smallest of the
''three brothers tfor so they term the
graded series of waves which form the
ryhthm of the sea) breaks, when theyrun the
craft in with rush and pull out in the lul
beyond the foaming crests. Once outside
the line of surf the boat steerer at the helm
takes look around for the whales. They
are about mile out, feeding on the ''britt"
IA minute sea animal of reddish cast just
beneath the surface, occasionally coming up
to spout
The boat steals cautiously on the quarry,
the harpooner in the bow weapon in hand,
while we on the beach watch with bated
breath the result. It is no easy matter to
approach a whale under these circumstances.
A grizzled old veteran, with hands on hips,
LlAlCdbSS SuIlc VI llC NAuNu4llto- Ii 9OOO
cum up on the side the brute sights ye an
makes off; ef yeou cum up directly in his
wake he senses We in some curious way and
of he goes. You'll see the cap'n'n cum up.
quarterin' hke'
The boat was very near one of the largest
Of the whales. Presently we saw the Iron"
fash and bury itself in the monster, the har-
pooner exchange places with the boat steerer,
his long, cleaning lance in hand, and then be-
came sensible that the boat was being borne
with terrible swiftness beyond our ken. Less
and less it grew, now a small speck on the
horizon-then vanishing altogether.
"They may go at that pace for twenty
mile said the veteran. "More than once
I've found myself out there indicating the
horizon), no land in sight, fast to a whale,
an mebbe fog or storm comm up. The
chances are, though, that in a mile or two
the whalel lie on the water and sulk. Then
the boat'1 steal up and the cap'n'l give him
the death thrust with the lance. Them's
pretty e1citin times. I've BEN thar often.
The blow grazes the black, shiny hide, the
cap'n thrusts; an when he pulls out the lance
a shower Of blood follers, often drenching the
boats crew. If possible the lance is given
another thrust, then it's well to back water,
for the beast soon goes into the death furry,
an would break a cast iron boat to pieces if
it struck it. The whale sinks once it is dead,
and the men mark its position by buoy
with flag attached. The sinking in deep
water is bad thing for the whalemen. A
whale that sinks in 200 fathons is apt to stay
down
On the beach the boat landed during the
night, and the men finding shelter at station
6, came into town in the morning reporting
having sunk the whale about ten miles out.
On the third day the quarry is expected to
rise, and the men row out, returning with it
late at night Next morning there is quite
q stampede to view the monster, which has
formed almost the sole topic of gossip in the
stores for the past two nights. 1t lies bump
ing in the surf, having grounded some little
way. out, a huge black, shining mass, one fin
upright, and the huge fukes swaying in the
surf. Capt. Edwards is six feet high but
when he stands upright beside the fin his head
is on level with its tip. The men swarm
upon the whale like the Liliputians on Gull
liver, maintaining their footing by sharp
prods in their boots and by the stout hawser
fastened round the flukes and carried to an
anchor on shore. As it lays these four
wagons and teams tandem" do not COM
pass its length, and two tall men one stand
ing on the others head would not reach to its
upper surface
Edwards began operations by cutting with
his spade deep incision in the neck forward
of the fin and continuing until he struck and
unjointed the huge vertebre Next the lip
of the head was taken of, exp lsing the
upright row of whalebone lining the cavity
of the mouth with is hairy flaments, used by
the whale in straining the ''britt" on which
it feeds This is tho most valuable part, bone
having ruled at times during the past few
years as high as So per pound Next the men
attack the body, cutting long burrows around
the animal and then by cross lines dividing
the blubber into large, square sections, which
are towed ashore. The men work lively, for
a storm is liable to break upon them at any
time and sweep the prize from its hold.
When one side has been stripped the huge
carcass is turned at food tide and the re-
naming side stripped. Meantime far up the
beach under the protecting dunes prepara-
tions for trying the blubber are progressing
with vigor. The trypots set in brickwork
will hold $50 gallons each, and weigh 600
pounds. There is but little wood beside each
kettle-the scrapple viii feed the fires after
the first kettleful is boiled. The trying goes
on by night and by day.-Detroit Free
Press.